There was no ODI World Cup hangover for the Indian women’s team as they started their run-up for the T20 World Cup next year with a statement win over Sri Lanka by 8 wickets in Vizag. Jemimah Rodrigues’ 69 as the bowlers set up the win and the hosts chased down the target within 15 overs to take a 1-0 lead in the series.
India won the toss and decided to put the visitors in to bat with dew set to be a big factor in the contest. And the signs of that was evident from the get-go with the fielders slipping at times and the ropes being used early on to remove the excess water from the field.
Sri Lanka’s dependence on their skipper Chamari Athapaththu has been evident over the past few years. Even during the ODI World Cup clash against India, they remained in the contest till the moment the opener was in and crumbled after she fell.
The same script unfolded in Vizag. Athapaththu got off with three boundaries to get the innings rolling before a beautiful in-swinger signalled the end of her brief stay with a beautiful in-swinger that left the Sri Lankan skipper clueless.
From there, while wickets didn’t fall, the Sri Lankan innings just went through a lull and they failed to get any momentum.
Indian bowlers strangle Sri Lanka
India went with three pacers and spinners in their ranks, with the young Vaishanavi Sharma being given a debut. India are looking to get their combinations in order and build a new young core for the T20 World Cup next year and the plan worked well if the first match is anything to go by.
The moment that spin came on in the sixth over, the boundaries were available on a premium. Deepti Sharma clearly had no hangovers from the ODI World Cup and she was at her economical and accurate best, ending a slow 38-ball stand between Vishmi Gunaratne and Hasini Perera with the wicket of the latter.
Vaishanavi and Arundhati, while being left-arm orthodox bowlers, had different speeds which made it difficult for the Sri Lankan batters to get adjusted to. A special word should be given to Vaishanavi for the calmness she showed in her debut game, bowling four overs and giving away 16 runs. She was unlucky not to get a wicket due to a dropped catch.
Gunratne scored 39, but it was rather slow as Sri Lanka huffed and puffed their way to 121.
India’s chase didn’t have the best of starts as they lost Shafali Verma in the second over for nine runs. All eyes were firmly on Mandhana at that point as she was coming back to cricket after a rather tumultuous month. But in Vizag and as the opener said, cricket took centre stage as she gained confidence quickly and started to play her shots.
Mandhana crossed the 4,000 run-mark in quick time with Jemimah slowly building her innings at the other end. The Indian opener fell soon after to her Inoka Ranaweera, but by then, the 54-run stand by Mandhana and Jemimah effectively took the game away from the visitors.
Once her partner left, Jemimah changed gears and ensured the win in the 12th over itself as she took apart Shashini Gimhani. The Indian batter got four boundaries away and got to her fifty in style as the Sri Lankans looked deflated and resigned to their fate at that point.
– Ends
